


“Let him go.”

by FeralCreed



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), MCU, Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Extremis, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Tony Stark, h/c, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 17:10:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6478855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeralCreed/pseuds/FeralCreed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for massivespacewren @ tumblr "Prompt: Winteriron, protecting the other in a life threatening situation and hurt/comfort :)".</p><p>Tony is kidnapped by a powerful entity wanting his help to perfect the Extremis virus. Bucky is kidnapped as well, used as leverage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	“Let him go.”

How does Bucky get into these situations? Oh yeah, he's deeply in love with an idiot who's far too willing to sacrifice himself for his team. And he's too willing himself to follow that idiot into danger. Which has led them to some epic makeup sex but also some nearly fatal situations. Right now, Bucky is fighting a group of mercenaries who were given a knockoff version of the Extremis formula that had caused Tony so much trouble in the past. There's been no danger of them exploding so far, but their body temperature is high enough that they can give someone serious burns after only a few seconds of contact.

  


Tony has been in the sky so far. His repulsors are an energy-based weapon, so their blasts are mostly absorbed into the enemies' body heat. It takes half a dozen direct hits to bring them down. And the team is having plenty of problems fighting an enemy they can't even touch. Even though they're trying to use non-lethal force, it's getting harder and harder to simply incapacitate their enemies when the Extremis heals them so quickly.

  


“C'mon, Iron Man,” Bucky says, barely dodging a hit from the man he's trying to take down. “I know you've been working on our problem, tell me what the solution is.”

  


“I'm not sure. Give me a minute.”

  


“We don't _have_ a minute!”

  


“Give me some time, darling, I'm not that intelligent.”

  


“Not that any of us would ever get that idea.”

  


“Hey, just because I tell you how smart I am doesn't mean I know everything.”

  


“Yeah, well, I still trust you, Tony. But hurry up. I don't feel like turning into a piece of barbecue.”

  


“Actually, I think you'd look pretty good all hot and sweaty. Come to think of it, I know it.”

  


“Keep your sex talk off the comms,” Steve demands.

  


“Pfft, you're just jealous,” Bucky teases.

  


“Winter, watch your six!” Sam barks.

  


Bucky whirls to see someone coming up behind him and doesn't have time to get out of the way. He brings his metal arm up just in time to block the hit aimed at his face, but given that the limb is wired into his nervous system, it still hurts pretty badly and he can't help a yelp of pain.

  


“ _Bucky_ ,” Tony yells, his voice painfully loud in the earpieces. “Cap, get on him, now!”

  


Steve shows up to block the next blow aimed at Bucky, the attack glancing off his shield. “I've got him, Stark,” he reassures the genius. “Need backup.”

  


“If they don't stand down, use lethal force. All this needs to end.” Tony sounds furious and Steve can't blame him. “Listen up, you jerks trying to kill my team. Stand down and you will be taken into protective custody with the Avengers' guarantee that you won't be harmed. Keep fighting and we will kill you if we have to.”

  


A couple of them give up at that, holding their hands up and no longer trying to attack. Some turn defensive instead of offensive. But at least half of their attackers still seem to be intent on setting the Avengers on fire. They hate to do it, but lethal force becomes necessary.

  


“Winter, I'm at your six,” Tony says, and Bucky glances over his shoulder to grin at him. They're busy fighting for their lives before too long, but Tony feels better knowing he's right there to protect Bucky if anything happens. And, knowing them, something does happen. Bucky's guard drops for half a second, by just enough that one of the men they're fighting manages to get a grip on his forearm.

  


Bucky screams at the burn that instantly starts forming. His attempt to pull back only spread the punishment, and he drops to one knee, hissing in pain. “Let go of me,” he demands.

  


The merc hovers his other hand over Bucky's throat, close enough that Bucky would be dead or seriously injured within seconds of his touch. He yells to catch the attention of the others, and it doesn't take long for the Avengers to stop fighting. Bucky's furious that he's being used, but there's nothing he can do about it from his current position.

  


“Listen up, you jerks,” the man says, parroting Tony's words back at him. “Our employer wants Tony Stark. If he's given to us, the rest of you can live. We'll let you go and disappear.”

  


“It's a deal,” Tony says.

  


“Hold on,” Bucky protests. “I-” His words are cut off by another cry of pain.

  


“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I said I'd do it!” Tony scolds. “Let him go.”

  


“Unfortunately, we'll need some insurance to make sure you cooperate. This one means something to you, I take it. So he comes with us. You misbehave, he gets punished.”

  


“You can't do that,” Steve protests.

  


“As long as this man's life is in my hands, I think you'll find I can.”

  


“Back off, Cap,” Tony snaps. When Steve starts to complain again, he repeats it. “I said, back off! He's right.”

  


The team is unhappy, but they understand. None of them are willing to risk Bucky's life just to take out the ringleader of a bunch of servants. If they're lucky, they'll be able to rescue Tony and Bucky later, but for now, it's simply not worth it. As promised, the rest of the Avengers are allowed to walk away from the fight unharmed, and the attackers seem unconcerned that the surrendered men go with them.

  


“Off with the suit, Stark,” the spokesman orders.

  


“Sure thing.” Tony steps out of the armour a few moments later, standing unarmed in his flight suit. “I get a name to call you by?”

  


“You can call me Aden,” the man replies. He removes his hands from the instant threat to Bucky's life. “And who is this?”

  


“My name is James,” Bucky answers, his tone irritated but subdued.

  


“Nice to meet you, Tony, James. Let's be on our way. Our employer is eager to speak with you.”

  


“I bet,” Tony mutters. The suit closes up behind them, engaging autopilot and returning to the Tower. At least their captors won't get a chance at handling it. With his hands up and his gaze down, he slips past Aden and crouches next to Bucky. “Hey,” he murmurs, sliding a hand to the elbow of Bucky's wounded arm. “Lemme see.”

  


Bucky holds out his arm to let Tony examine the burn. He clenches his teeth at the few gentle pokes the genius gives it but says nothing. It hurts, it'll heal, and there's not anything else to say about it. Tony looks furious at the way Bucky's been treated so far, but it seems like he doesn't want to risk saying anything about it and angering the people who could hurt him further. After helping Bucky stand, Tony turns to Aden.

  


“All right, where are we going?” Tony asks. “I only have one condition, and that is that you do not hurt James. You can take things out on me.”

  


“Our master knows you well, Stark. Hurting James is our best chance at keeping you in line. And we're not afraid to risk his life if you're uncooperative. James' death is not our objective, but it will happen if you refuse to work with us.”

  


Tony can't help looking at Bucky, concern obvious on his face. If there's one thing he doesn't want to happen, it's for Bucky to get hurt. His death isn't something that Tony even wants to consider thinking about. “Let's get this party started, then. Just lead the way.”

  


Aden does so. He leads Tony and Bucky to a vehicle and gets inside with them. Tony is put in the front seat, while Aden sits next to Bucky. “If you behave, James won't be hurt,” he reminds them. Neither of them replies, and they remain quiet as the car starts.

  


Sometime while they're still in the middle of the city, Aden puts a bag over Bucky's head and orders the same done to Tony. Bucky protests until Aden touches his wrist, and Tony doesn't even try. The ride seems to take forever since their senses are restricted, but eventually the car stops. Aden removes the bags from their heads and motions for them to follow him into the nondescript, rural building. It seems as though they've moved into the countryside, which surprise Bucky a little. What on earth are they supposed to do out here?

  


For once, the answer is simple. The Extremis formula isn't perfect, and the person currently holding it demands that Tony do the work to make sure it's viable to be used. Bucky's life is the price of his failure, and their mutual freedom the price of his success. Despite the fact that Tony is clearly disgusted at the situation he finds them in, he doesn't try to negotiate.

  


He and Bucky are separated almost instantly, and Tony struggles against the men manhandling him until one of Bucky's guards threatens him. After that, he begrudgingly allows himself to be led from the room. Whoever currently holds the power over them sees fit to keep them apart until dinnertime. Then Tony is sent to a room he's evidently meant to share with Bucky.

  


“You're all right,” Tony says, relieved.

  


“More or less,” Bucky agrees. He'd been curled up on the bed waiting for Tony to return, but now he gets up and gestures toward the table that's the only other piece of furniture in the room. “Wanna help me wrap up my arm? Don't need it getting infected or anything. Even if it won't last, it won't be fun.”

  


“Sure thing,” Tony tells him. He rambles as he works to bandage Bucky's arm, trying to find something normal in the situation. Once Bucky's wound is seen to, he checks on his metal arm but can't do much about it. “Tell me, how you doing?”

  


“I'm scared,” Bucky confesses. “These people can hurt me worse and faster than anybody else we've run into. You're just as threatened by their power. And you're being forced to do something you don't want to because of your affection for me and the way it's being used against you.”

  


“Hey, Buck.” Tony bracketed Bucky's hand in his own. “I don't regret anything that has happened. This guy wouldn't be after me if I wasn't a genius. You just got mixed up in things. Most of the fault here is mine.”

  


“As long as we get out of here...”

  


“We will, Bucky, I promise. The two of us are gonna leave this place alive and well. I'm gonna see you walk out of here, and soon.”

  


“So am I.”

  


Tony leans forward and kisses him. It's probably not his smartest move, considering they're surrounded by enemies, but he and Bucky have always been tactile, and it's a habit that isn't going to go away just because they're kidnapped. He drops Bucky's hand and pulls away when they hear someone approaching, because the last thing they need is to give their guards any hint that they're close than they appeared. Once the guard delivers their dinner and leaves, they take their time eating.

  


Nobody comes back to collect the plates, so the two of them lie down. The room was equipped with just one bed, so their sharing won't look too suspicious. Bucky lays down with Tony's back pulled close to his chest and puts an arm across his waist to hold him close. Apparently they'll be spending some time in this room, and Bucky only hopes that whoever Tony is being forced to work for will let him get a proper amount of rest. Just because Tony can stay up for days at a time, barely getting sleep between science binges, doesn't mean that he should. Despite their situation, anything Bucky does will bring punishment on himself and not on Tony, so he's unafraid of demanding that his boyfriend be treated right.

  


Fortunately Tony is left alone through the night, much to Bucky's relief. They're brought breakfast and allowed to finish it in their own time, and Tony isn't taken until they're done eating. He's gone through the rest of the day, but when he's returned to Bucky at dinnertime, he reassures his boyfriend that he was fed lunch. After dinner, they're left to themselves, and Bucky indulges in a few lazy kisses before he makes Tony stop so they won't be found out.

  


The next week passes in the same way. Bucky is left under guard while Tony works, and they carefully keep their displays of affection brief and private. Nobody pays attention to them except when they're brought food or when Tony is taken to work. Despite the fact that nobody seems interested in hurting either of them, Bucky is growing increasingly uneasy. He knows how captivity usually works, and it involves a lot more pain and danger than this. Still, he's hardly going to ask about what's going on. He knows better.

  


Eventually Tony's work hours start getting longer. He's obviously getting tired, and Bucky is irritated with the apparent disregard for his health. Unfortunately there isn't much he can do to help, since the level that Tony is working at is pretty well beyond his own knowledge. Then Tony begins getting injured, small cuts and burns that would be fine on their own but add up to a vicious pattern of abuse.

  


Since Tony refuses to say anything about it for fear of provoking injury to Bucky, Bucky takes it upon himself to make his objections known. Aden's people take offense to his protests, and the burns he gets need four days to finish healing. Tony bandages him up when it happens, his eyes shimmering with tears at the pain that Bucky's in and his own helplessness. He stands with his arms around Bucky's shoulders for a long time, and Bucky doesn't even try to make him move.

  


Finally the Avengers find them. This time the battle is decidedly in their favour, since the mercenaries with Extremis that had surrendered to them helped them figure out how to beat their comrades in exchange for leniency. Bucky forces Tony to stay back, curling around the inventor to make him a smaller target with all the shooting and fighting going on. Steve is the one who finds them, and Bucky almost cries with relief at seeing his best friend.

  


Bucky follows Tony out of the base, keeping a hand on his shoulder or the small of his back. Aden glares at them as they pass him, at least until Bucky turns a full-strength Winter Soldier glare on him. The man shrinks back, and Bucky lets his boyfriend take his hand and lead him to the cars that are there to take them back home. Now that they're safe, Bucky is making up for the affection he couldn't share for the last few weeks. Judging by the near-continuous amounts of smiles and laughs that he's getting out of Tony, his boyfriend doesn't mind too much. While they wait for the team to finish cleaning up the base, they share a brief kiss, which turns into them making out in the back of the car.

  


Tony shrieks when Natasha pokes him. She smirks at him, totally unrepentant, and turns a sunny smile on a glaring Bucky. “We're ready to leave, if you're nearly done.”

  


Bucky gives a short laugh and pulls Tony into a protective embrace. “Not even close.” He presses a quick kiss to the side of Tony's head, smiling at his grumble. “I love you.”

  


At that, Tony blushes furiously, even though he's heard it plenty of times before. “I love you too.” He kisses Bucky one last time before settling against his boyfriend's side. The last few weeks were hard on him, but know that they're safe and Bucky loves him, everything is okay. Bucky keeps an arm around his shoulders, and Tony ends up falling asleep on the way back to the Tower. When he wakes up to Natasha taking a picture of him drooling on Bucky's shoulder, he whines and complains for a few minutes but can't help laughing. It's been hard, but this is his family. Little and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments, and constructive criticism appreciated! Want to send a prompt/headcanon or talk? Visit me @ [my tumblr](the-star-spangled-bucky.tumblr.com)!


End file.
